Portable telescopic adjustable boat cover ridge pole



B. COOPER Oct. 15, 1963 PORTABLE TELESCOPIC ADJUSTABLE BOAT COVER RIDGE POLE Filed April 17. 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l Benjamin Cooper 1N VEN TOR.

BY WWW Oct. 15, 1963 COOPER 3,106,931

PORTABLE TELESCOPIC ADJUSTABLE BOAT COVER RIDGE POLE Filed April 17, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Benjamin Cooper 1 N VEN TOR will,

United States Patent 3,106,931 PORTABLE TELESCOPIC ADJUSTABLE BOAT COVER RIDGE POLE Benjamin Cooper, 15773 Chapel, Detroit, Mich. Filed Apr. 17, 1961, Ser. No. 103,437 1 Claim. (Cl. 1356) This invention relates to a novel and useful portable telescopic adjustable boat cover ridge pole and more particularly to a ridge pole specifically adapted to facilitate the positioning and mounting of a cover over a boat.

Some types of boats, and particularly the more popular runabout type of boats are provided with boat covers which are fitted to an individual boat. If the boat is provided with a windshield the boat cover is usually secured to the upper edges of the windshield by means of suitable snap fasteners and along the upper edges of the sides of the boat by means of snap fasteners. Although this type of boat cover is useful in preventing rain from entering an open boat, it does not provide sufficient ventilation for the interior of the boat and condensation is quite often a serious problem when a tight fitting boat cover is used. Although the ridge pole of the instant invention is specifically adapted for use with boat covers fitted to a particular boat, it may also be used with generally rectangular boat covers specifically adapted to be maintained open at opposite ends in order to provide a maximum amount of ventilation. However, if the ridge pole of the instant invention is used in conjunction with a tight fitting boat cover, the ridge pole is specifically adapted to support a boat cover in an elevated position above the upper surfaces of the boat over which the cover is secured. In this manner, the boat cover does not rub the upper surfaces of the boat which are sometimes varnished and accordingly the boat cover is not positioned in a manner whereby Wind will cause the boat cover to have an abrasive action with the upper surfaces of the boat.

In the past various types of ridge poles for boat covers have been devised but the ridge pole of the instant invention is constructed in a manner whereby it may be used to support a boat cover over boats of various sizes and shapes. The ridge pole of the instant invention is longitudinally extensible and it includes a plurality of ridge pole standards which are specifically adapted to support the ridge pole in an elevated position above the upper surfaces of a boat in order that the cover for the boat may be maintained in spaced relation relative to the upper surfaces of the boat. In addition, the ridge pole standards are secured to the ridge pole in a manner whereby they may be adjustably positioned longitudinally of the ridge pole and the standards themselves are extensible in length. In addition, the upper ends of the standards are pivotally secured to the ridge pole for movement about axes extending transversely of the ridge pole whereby the standards may be inclined relative to the ridge pole if it is so desired.

A main object of this invention is to provide a portable telescopic and vertically adjustable boat cover ridge pole which will be capable of supporting boat covers over boats of various types and sizes with the boat cover maintained in spatial relation relative .to the upper surfaces of the boat.

A further object of this invention is to provide a portable telescopic and vertically adjustable boat cover ridge pole which may be adjusted vertically and inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the boat after the ridge pole has been erected and the boat cover has been partially secured thereover.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a ridge pole having a plurality of support standards provided with means on their lower ends enabling the stand- 3,105,931 Patented Oct. 15, 1963 ards to be secured to various portions of a boat disposed immediately beneath those standards.

A final object to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a boat cover ridge pole which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to erect so as to provide a device which will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation. 7

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a boat on which the ridge pole of the instant invention is mounted, a cover for the boat being shown in phantom lines;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the ridge pole;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the ridge pole in a collapsed position for storage;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showing the manner in which one ridge pole section is mounted for extension relative to the other ridge pole section;

FIGURES 5 through 7 are fragmentary enlarged vertical sectional views showing various manners in which the securing means carried by the lower ends of the standards of the ridge pole may be utilized to secure the standards of the ridge pole to various portions of a boat.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings the numeral 10 generally designates an open runabout type boat provided with a cockpit 12 and a windshield 14. The boat Ill includes a transom 16, opposite sides 18 and 20 and forward deck 22 terminating at its forward end at the how 24.

The ridge pole of the instant invention is generally designated by the reference numeral 26 and includes a ridge pole member generally referred to by the reference numeral 28. The ridge pole member includes a large diameter forward portion 30 which is generally cylindrical and hollow and a rear portion 32 which is snugly and slidably receivable within the rear end of the forward portion 30. A clamp assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 34 comprises a split clamp including a large diametered portion 38 and a small diameter portion 40. The small diameter portion 40 snugly and slidably receives the rear portion 32 of the ridge pole member 28 and the large diameter portion 38 snugly receives the rear end of the forward portion 30. The free ends 42 and 44 of the clamp assembly 34 are secured together by means of a threaded fastener 46 and in this manner the clamp assembly 34- preferably engages the forward and rear portions 30 and 32 to maintain these portions in position relative to each other. Accordingly, it may be seen that the ridge pole member 28 may be extended to the length desired and maintained in that extended. position.

The ridge pole 26 includes a plurality of support stand-- ards 48 and each support standard 48 includes a large diameter lower portion 50 and a small diameter upper portion 52; The large diameter lower portion 50 is cylindrical and hollow and the lower end of the small diameter portion 52 is snugly and slidably received therein. Each support standard is also provided with a clamp assembly 34 and in this manner the suppont standards 48 may be retained in their adjusted extended positions. The upper ends of the small diameter portions 52 are flattened and are pivoted between the ends of the split clamp assemblies 54 and 56. The split clamp assemblies 54 and 56 are identical with the exception that the split clamp assembly 56 is smaller than the split clamp assembly 54 and is disposed about the rear portion 62 of the ridge pole member 28. The split clamp assemblies 54 and 56 each include pairs of apertured free end portions 58 which may be drawn together 'by means of suitable fasteners 60.

'The center support standard 48 has a suction cup 62 secured to its lower end and each of the opposite end support standards 48 has a mounting clamp assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 64 mounted thereon. Each of the mounting clamp assemblies 64 includes a split clamp assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 66 and substantially identical to the split clamp assemblies 54 and 56 with the exception that the opposite sides of the portion of the split clamp assemblies 66 disposed about the lower portions 50 of the standards 48 are provided with outwardly directed threaded pins. The threaded pins 68 are disposed through the apertured furcations 70 of a bifurcated mounting generally referred to by the reference numeral '72 carried by the base 74. The base 74 is apertured as at 76 and is also provided with a central aperture 7 8' between the furcations 70 registrable with the passage 81) defined by the portion of the clamp assemblies 66 disposed about the lower sections 50 of the opposite end support standards 48. In this manner, the base 74 may be secured to a portion 82 of the boat by means of fasteners 84 secured through the apertures 76 and the lower section 50 may pass through the apertures 78- formed between the furcations 70 and an aperture '86 formed in the portion of the boat 82 for the purpose. Additionally, it will be observed from FIGURE 7 of the drawings that the split clamp assemblies 66 may be pivoted relative to the bifurcated mount 72 so that the lower portion 50 of the standard 48 extends transversely of the aperture 78 formed in the base 74.

The free ends of the threaded pivot ,pins '68 have wing nuts 88 threadedly engaged therewith and the wing nuts I a of the support standards 48 may be adjusted, the ridge 4 pole member 28 may be inclined relative to the support members 48 and the bifurcated mount 72 may be pivoted relative to their split clamp assemblies 6-6.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

A portable telescopic and vertically adjustable boat cover ridge pole comprising a ridge pole member, a plurality of ridge pole standards secured to said pole at points spaced longitudinally therealong, means carried by the lower ends of said standards adapted for securement to selected surfaces of a boat, said attachment means each including a clamp member adjustable longitudinally of the corresponding standard and a mounting base pivotally secured to said clamp adapted-to be secured to one of said boat surfaces, said mounting base including a mounting plate having a bifurcated mount, said clamp being pivotally secured between the furcations of said mount, said mounting plate having an opening formed therein, said clamp defining a passage for receiving said standard, said passage being registrable with said opening whereby said standard may project through said opening and an aperture aligned therewith formed through the boat surface to which said plate is secured.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,494,234 Gossett May 13, 1924 1,653,822 Pliskin Dec. 27, 1927 1,878,393 Grier Sept. 20, 1932 2,571,362 Hervey Oct. 16, 1951 2,618,285 Heisig Nov. 18, 1952 2,804,766 Landman' Sept. 3, 1957 2,829,660 Webster et a1. Apr. 8, 1958 g FOREIGN PATENTS 1,219,342 France Dec. 28, 1959 

